The Maf‘ūl Bih (مَفْعُول بِهِ) – The Object in Arabic Grammar

Understanding Maf‘ūl Bih (مَفْعُول بِهِ) – The Object in Arabic Grammar

1️⃣ What Is a Maf‘ūl Bih (مَفْعُول بِهِ)?

The maf‘ūl bih is the direct object in an Arabic sentence. It refers to the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. It is always in the accusative case (منصوب, manṣūb), meaning it typically ends with a fatḥah (ـَ) or its equivalent.

Example:

• كَتَبَ الطَّالِبُ الدَّرْسَ. (Kataba aṭ-ṭālibu ad-darsa.)
• كَتَبَ (kataba) – Wrote (verb)
• الطَّالِبُ (aṭ-ṭālibu) – The student (subject)
• الدَّرْسَ (ad-darsa) – The lesson (object)
• 🔹 The word الدَّرْسَ is the maf‘ūl bih because it receives the action of writing.

2️⃣ How to Identify the Maf‘ūl Bih?

To find the maf‘ūl bih: ✔️ Identify the verb first. ✔️ Look for who or what is receiving the action of the verb. ✔️ The maf‘ūl bih will always be in the accusative case (manṣūb).

Example:

• أَكَلَ الوَلَدُ التُّفَّاحَةَ. (Akala al-waladu at-tuffāḥata.)
• أَكَلَ (akala) – Ate (verb)
• الوَلَدُ (al-waladu) – The boy (subject)
• التُّفَّاحَةَ (at-tuffāḥata) – The apple (object)
• 🔹 The apple is the maf‘ūl bih because it receives the action of eating.

3️⃣ Case Marking (Harakat) of the Maf‘ūl Bih

The maf‘ūl bih is always in the accusative case (منصوب):

• Singular nouns take a fatḥah (ـَ) or tanwīn fatḥ (ً).
• أَحْبَبْتُ المُعَلِّمَ. (Aḥbabtu al-mu‘allima.) – I loved the teacher.
• Dual nouns take ـيْنَ (ـَانِ in nominative).
• رَأَيْتُ الطِّفْلَيْنِ. (Ra’aytu aṭ-ṭiflayni.) – I saw the two children.
• Sound masculine plural takes ـِينَ (ـُونَ in nominative).
• قَابَلْتُ المُهَنْدِسِينَ. (Qābaltu al-muhandisīna.) – I met the engineers.
• Sound feminine plural takes ـَاتِ (ـَاتُ in nominative).
• شَاهَدْتُ المُعَلِّمَاتِ. (Shāhadtu al-mu‘allimāti.) – I saw the female teachers.

4️⃣ Implicit and Pronoun Forms of Maf‘ūl Bih

Sometimes, the maf‘ūl bih appears as a pronoun attached to the verb.

Example with an Attached Pronoun:

• دَرَسْتُهُ. (Darastuhu.) – I studied it.

Example with an Implied (Hidden) Maf‘ūl Bih:

• سَمِعْتُ. (Sami‘tu.) – I heard. (Object is understood from context.)

5️⃣ Different Types of Maf‘ūl Bih

A. Explicit Maf‘ūl Bih (Mentioned Clearly)

• كَرِهْتُ الظُّلْمَ. (Karihtu aẓ-ẓulma.) – I hated injustice.

B. Implicit (Hidden) Maf‘ūl Bih

• قَرَأْتُ. (Qara’tu.) – I read. (Object is not mentioned but understood.)

C. Repeated for Emphasis

• إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ. (Iyyāka na‘budu.) – You alone we worship.

6️⃣ Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Mistake: Using the wrong case ending for the maf‘ūl bih. ✔ Correct: شَرِبْتُ الْحَلِيبَ. (Sharibtu al-ḥalība.) – I drank the milk. 🚫 Incorrect: شَرِبْتُ الْحَلِيبُ.

🚫 Mistake: Forgetting to attach the correct pronoun for maf‘ūl bih. ✔ Correct: دَرَسْتُهُ. (Darastuhu.) – I studied it. 🚫 Incorrect: دَرَسْتُ. (Darastu.) – (Incomplete sentence without an object).

7️⃣ Summary Table: Key Features of the Maf‘ūl Bih

Feature	Explanation	Example
Receives the action of the verb	The object of the verb	أَكَلَ الطِّفْلُ التُّفَّاحَةَ. (The child ate the apple.)
Always in accusative case (منصوب)	Takes fatḥah (ـَ) or equivalent	قَرَأْتُ الكِتَابَ. (I read the book.)
Can be a noun or pronoun	Can be explicit or attached as a pronoun	دَرَسْتُهُ. (I studied it.)
Can be emphasized	Sometimes brought forward for emphasis	إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ. (You alone we worship.)
Can be omitted if understood	Sometimes the maf‘ūl bih is not mentioned explicitly	سَمِعْتُ. (I heard.)

8️⃣ Final Thoughts & Practice

Now that you understand the maf‘ūl bih (object) in Arabic, try identifying it in different sentences. Leave a comment with your answers!